The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-21

second Eultlon or Sunday:l
The Southern Prison Rottenness.
liz consequence of Towards failure to pay any
Of the guards during the last three months they
are all deeply in debt to grocers and merchants
about Jeffersonville for supplies that have been
tee going to the train this after
noon grocer approached one OF the
legislators, and complained that he had been
crediting guard for three months and that
there was now $50 due him. Nearly every per-
son In any way connected with the
management of the prison Is involved
to some degree in the embarrassment
resulting from Towards downfall. Outside OF
the plundered prison and the convicts from
whom savings have been extorted, there are
many sufferers from the operations OF the ring
There are few business men in the city who nave
not considerable sums owing them by Howard
and his surbordinates, and since the collapse
they have little hope OF ever realizing anything
from these accounts
An incident in today's disclosures indicates
pretty well how completely the prison has been
picked of every cent that it could be made to
yield. The Governor OH Friday pardoned
Walter S. Hart convict dying of consumption.
The papers for his release reached the prison this
morning and when Hart was given his freedom
he demanded $50 due him to pay his expenses in
getting to his home. The deputy warden found
that there was not dollar on hand, and had to
advance to the pardoned convict money from his
There are many dark stories coming to the
surface and during the afternoon a rumor
started from the investigating committees head
quarters that crime of worse degree than en-
bezzlement had been committed. While no one
would enter into any details OF the story, 1t
vaguely limited that there was blood on
tho hands of some Of the prison officers, a con-
Wet having been killed about year ago. This
morning John Dinkwater, a convict was found
dead in his cell. The committee thought that
the circumstances of his sudden death warranted
an investigation. and an inquiry was made into
the case, but with what result is not known.
The committee has found that the modes of
punishment simply inhuman, and there s
little discrimination regarding the relative
gravity OF offenses committed by the helpless
wretches upon whom the brutality is inflicted.
The warden and guards fix any penalty they
see fit. The prisoners declare they are often
punished without any knowledge of the
offense with which they are charged.
When the prisoners first enter the work
shops they say they are unable to perform
the required tasks. When such is the case,
they complain that they haudcuffed, sus
pended by the wrists with the toes barely touch
ing the floor and left hanging from morning till
night day after day. This punishment is in
flicted in cell in the top Of the building where
it is very cold Men have been taken from this
CELL witnesses testify. with their feet frozen.
Yet men are allowed after being hung up by the
wrists all day to remain in this place through the
night without even o blanket covering of any
kind and forced to lie on the floor.
The testimony elected in the investigation into
the circumstances of the death of CNeill in
1881 showed that he was strung up for failure to
do his task, ard the punishment repeated several
successive days. Finally, he was left hanging
one night and was found dead in his cell the
next morning. Inmates testified that this pun
ishment common for failure to perform
tasks, talking against orders, and other similar
offenses. Solitary confinement on bread and
water for FROM three to thirty days is
also the punishment for talking, and
whenever man IS punished he loses
has made. One witness testified that.
having been in confinement on bread and water.
he was too weak to do his task He asked the
superintendent of the shop to excuse him from
work for n day. and was refused He then asked
for lighter work, was reported for insulting the
superintendent and gnard, and was handcufed
and strung up. Another said he suffering
with cough and coughcd as the line was filing
ont from dinner. He was punished in a similar
manner. When he made application for medi-
cine the physician refused to give him any, say
--4Gsaf be was-~Sell enough to- talk he needed
none
After the examination OF the warden's books
was completed this afternoon by Mr. Coons they
were delivered to acting Warden Baxter, and
it is presumed that there will be no further
animation of them although the House commit
tee will probably return next week to resume its
inquiry into the prisons management 1t is I'M
derstood that the amount of shortage discov
cred by accountant Coons is about SO, 900. As
Howard failed TO give any bond the last time he
in tho lurch, since it seems to DE the opinion OF
lawyers that his former bondsmen cannot be held
except tor the shortage which occurred during
the time they were on his bond. Even then the
matter cannot be settled without great deal OF
trouble and litigation. One of the principal
men on the old bond WAS NJ Y. Mccain, a Goa
dealer in Jeiersonville and an interesting point
in connection with this is that Mccain has
always obtained the contract for furnishing tht
prison with coal
After concluding their work this afternoon
the members of the investigating committee
with the exception of Chairman Sinclair. re
turned to indianapolis. He went to his home a
Salem to spend Sunday The committee will. i
is understood, begin preparing their report Mon
day. and it is expected that it will be submitted
to the Legislature sometime early next week
They will recommend clean sweep in the off
GERS Of the prison, with the exception, probably
Of the chaplain.
Germany's Political Campaign.
BERLIN Feb 19-The North German Ga
zette, Prince Bismarcks organ, says that if an
other dissolution of the Reichstag be needed
the Emperor will issue personal appeal to tn
nation.
There is pause in the intensity of the electora